The Wedding Planner

Ten.

Liam stared at me disapprovingly as I recalled the events of the cake tasting. He was leant against a table with his feet crossed at the ankles and his arms crossed around his waist. He shook his head when I was done telling him and stood up to pace around the room.

"I'm really disappointed in you Haz."

I sighed and hung my head in shame. "I know."

"You can't have meetings with him anymore okay? I'll deal with him if he comes alone, are you seeing him today?"

"No, it's Eleanor's dress fitting today. I can handle that myself."

He didn't look too sure but nodded anyway. "Are you going to tell her what happened?"

I spluttered. "Absolutely not, for a start they're paying us a shit load, we can't ruin it before the big day. Secondly, it's their wedding. I can't ruin that."

"But what if he doesn't love her Harry? You say you're in this for the love after all."

"He does love her."

He raised an eyebrow at me unsure, and the twisting of my stomach agreed with him.

****

Eleanor rushed towards me, wrapping me in a giant hug. "I'm so happy to see you finally! I hear you're an angel in disguise. Louis speaks really highly of you." She pulled away and beamed at me.

I smiled awkwardly at her. I tried to laugh it off, "Does he?"

She nodded enthusiastically and grabbed my hand pulling me into the dress shop. "So, what are we doing today?"

"This is a fitting, you chose your dress a while ago and now you get to finally try it on and they can alter it before the big day."

She nodded at me but her eyes were wondering around the walls, taking in the glorious white dresses on display. She skipped around and delicately touched as many as she could, squealing to herself.

Normally, this was one of my favourite parts as I loved to get a private insight into what the bride would look like on the big day. I loved to watch a bride's face light up as she looked at herself in the mirror wearing a beautiful white gown. It was a rare moment of self love that women would have but so truly deserved, and it was lovely to be a part of. But today was different. I was dreading seeing her in the gown. I was afraid of seeing something I could never be, a bride to Louis.

Eleanor froze when she saw the shop owner carrying out a dress wrapped carefully in plastic. She was called to try it on and slowly stepped forward, in awe of the lace material poking out. She looked over to me and I tried to smile the best I could at her, waving her off to try it on.

Once she had disappeared I let out a breath I didn't even know I was holding and slumped down into a chair in the corner of the room. I rested my hand over my eyes as I shut them for a few seconds. I hadn't been sleeping recently and it was starting to catch up with me. My mind was constantly racing with thoughts of Louis and sometimes I couldn't sleep because my heart was racing so wildly and I was wondering what he was doing just a few streets away, and other times I couldn't sleep because I was worried about him or Eleanor finding out.

"Harry!" I rubbed my eyes slowly and sat forward hearing Eleanor's voice calling me. I followed the sound of it towards the dressing rooms and entered a large room with a stool in the centre of it with Eleanor stood on it. The wall in front of her was all mirror and she beamed at me in the reflection.

Her dress was beautiful. It was completely silk apart from the long sleeves and train which were crafted with a delicate white lace. It traipsed off the back of the stool and along the floor making her look like a princess.

She definitely was beautiful.

I felt my breath hitch in my chest and the tears started to prick my eyes. She looked so happy and I couldn't stand it. It wasn't fair that she was getting her happy ending and I had to watch from a distance. It wasn't fair that I only had three more weeks with Louis and she had forever. It wasn't fair that she was exactly what Louis wanted and I wasn't.

Her expression shifted in the mirror as she watched me. "Harry are you okay?"

I nodded at her frantically as the tears splashed down my cheeks. "Mhmm, you just...you look so beautiful."

She looked down to the ground and smiled before looking back up to me. "You're too sweet, I have no idea where I would be without you." Her words felt like they slipped down my throat and squeezed my heart. What I was doing to her was anything but sweet.

"Are you sure you're okay Harry?"

"I....Eleanor I can't plan your wedding anymore. I'm so sorry. Just talk to Liam okay?"

"Harry?" She called after me and I heard her as she stepped off the stool to follow me but I was already running out of the shop. My car was parked in the car park but I left it and kept running, the tears still streaking down my cheeks.

There was only one place I could go now.